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RECORD BREAKERS  The
Exiles’ St. Patrick’s Day showdown with London Wasps at the
Madejski Stadium is set to smash attendance records yet again.
“London Irish playing at the Madejksi Stadium? It’s like
the church — we are always full at Christmas and Easter,”
so said London Irish Supporters’ Club chairman Simon Browne when
asked about the expected attendance at the forthcoming St. Patrick’s
Day game against London Wasps on Sunday, March 16.
This season London Irish look like breaking the Premiership attendance
record yet again. As seen in the table below, London Irish already hold
seven of the Top-10 positions.
The St. Patrick’s Day game comes at a time when London Irish have
won the first eight of their games in all competitions in 2008, are making
a push for the play-off places and have reached the knock-out stages of
the Heineken Cup for the first time.
Success on the pitch brings more work for the LISC committee but in the
London Irish tradition the club and supporters welcome all fans from both
clubs.
“Coming immediately after Cheltenham Festival Week and England v
Ireland at Twickenham this fixture could not have fallen on a better day,”
said Simon. “Thank heavens it is a Bank Holiday for St. Patrick’s
Day for those returning to Ireland. For the rest of us it will be a tough
day at work on the Monday morning!”
The Premier League always try to accommodate any club’s request
for certain fixtures and the supporters can have no complaints in being
matched up against their rivals London Wasps from just up the Thames Valley
for this fixture. Also, it is rumored, this is the favourite fixture for
the Sky Rugby Club presenters.
Simon explained why the game has become so attractive: “For this
particular game we liaise with the club’s management to create a
supporters’ village outside the ground. We have a variety of live
bands on the stage, a number of bars and exhibitions from various sponsors.
“Indeed, the supporters have their own marquee where they sell merchandise
(including for the first time Heineken Cup quarter-final shirts!) and
old friends can catch up. Everyone is in a party mood.”
The normally blue-and-white Madejski Stadium turns into sea of green
as wigs and feather boas are adorned and inside the stadium the drum and
trumpet corps gets into full swing.
There is also a chance to spot a celebrity or two on match day. The Honorary
President of the London Irish Supporters’ Club is Sir Terry Wogan
who should have returned from Eurovision Song Contest duties and you never
know who you’re going to spot from Peter O’Toole to Richard
Dunwoody. Lots of former players turn up too like Gary Halpin, Kieron
Dawson and Conor O’Shea. In any event the ghosts of former London
Irish luminaries (some of them former players) like Richard Harris, Dave
Allen and Spike Milligan look down from on high — and no doubt nod
approvingly at the revels below. |
